Bangalore, Nov. 1: The Karnataka government has formally announced that Bangalore would be renamed Bengaluru, observing the golden jubilee of the state’s foundation day today.

Addressing a meeting at the M. Chinnaswamy stadium, chief minister H.D. Kumaraswamy announced the name change amid pro-Kannada chants.

Bengaluru, pronounced Bengalooru, was in the pipeline for almost a year after litterateur U.R. Ananth Murthy first suggested it to give the city a local flavour.

The official change will take some time as the proposal has to be sent to the Centre. Once approved, a gazette notification will be issued by the state that henceforth Bangalore will be called Bengaluru.

It is still not clear whether all establishments will have to use the new name or it will be voluntary. There is no consensus on the English spelling yet.

Karnataka also plans to change Mangalore to Mangaluru and Mysore to Mysooru.